Hutt Lagoon pink lake in Port Gregory, WA: Best time to visit
Hutt Lagoon near Port Gregory in Western Australia is one of Australia’s most reliably pink lakes. See this Port Gregory pink lake on a west coast road trip, or on a scenic flight from Geraldton or Kalbarri.
Where is Hutt Lagoon?
Hutt Lagoon in Western Australia is one of Australia’s increasingly famous pink lakes. Near Port Gregory on the west coast, 515km north of Perth, it’s a shallow salt lake. Hutt Lagoon can be seen on the coastal drive from Geraldton to Kalbarri.
Why is Hutt Lagoon pink?
Hutt Lagoon takes on a pink or red hue due to an algae called Dunaliella salina.
This algae produces carotenoids, which turn produce the reddish pink colour. The beta-carotene made by Dunaliella salina has uses other than making salt lakes look pretty, and is often used in food colouring.
Dunaliella salina itself is sometimes used in the cosmetics industry, and is reputedly good for skin health.
It’s perhaps no surprise, therefore, that Hutt Lagoon is home to the world’s biggest microalgae production plant. It’s hardly a glamorous industry, but this Western Australian pink lake is a world-beater on that front.
Brine shrimp is also harvested here, then sent to prawn and fish farms where it is used as food.
When put in these terms, Hutt Lagoon is not particularly attractive. But no-one really cares about the brine shrimp industry – they just want to see a pretty pink lake.
Best time to visit Hutt Lagoon
The best time to see Hutt Lagoon is when there’s more water in it, the sun is high and the sky is clear. Cloudless days bring the most dazzling results, as everything is more intense. Come between 10am and 2pm if you want the most vivid shades of red and pink.
Theoretically, summer is the best time to visit as the sunlight is more intense and there’s less cloud coverage. However, the water levels are much lower in summer.
Port Gregory pink lake after rain
So, if you can afford to be picky about when you visit Hutt Lagoon, aim for a day after significant rain when the sky is clear.
It’s not an exact science, though. The more saline the water is, the more the algae reproduces. However, light intensity is the biggest factor in the colour.
Hutt Lagoon scenic flights from Geraldton and Kalbarri
The best views of this Port Gregory pink lake come on the Port Gregory Road, just before you get to the town. There’s a car park and a lookout, and you can walk down to the water’s edge from there.
You can also see Hutt Lagoon from above to get the full view of the pink colour. Geraldton Air Charter and Shine Aviation run Hutt Lagoon pink lagoon flights from Geraldton, and Kalbarri Scenic Flights offers them from Kalbarri.
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